Tottenham Hotspur youth academy has given numerous world class players to the footballing world. Since David Beckham to Harry Kane, they have been raising beasts in their youth ranks. Every year they come up with a prodigy youngster who emerges as a future prospect for the clubs around the world.
This time Tottenham Hotspur’s another future star is in making in the form of the teenager sensation Oliver Skipp.
Born in Welwyn Garden City, a town in Hertfordshire, England, on September 16, 2000, Skipp is a right-footed player who plays in midfield positions (preferably defensive).
He has a great vision and seems to be confident on the ball, which we don’t get to see usually in the players, at his age. His ball control and passing are the best part of his playing style. Skipp is also blessed with a pace which he uses not only offensively but also defensively. He shows a great presence on the pitch and is always covering either the ball or a player. He keeps making interceptions, tackles and tracks down players defensively. Also, when it comes to attacking, the player is easily able to find his teammates for passes, after carrying the ball forward. That means, he is not just an offensive-defensive midfielder but also an occasional attacking playmaker.
Let us have a more detailed analysis of his game so that we can find out why Skipp could be a wonder kid.
SKILLS
The teenager possesses a gamut of skills and clever moves which he uses to beat his opponents. He can do almost everything with the ball at his feet, running, controlling, passing and also shooting. Yes. He has a really good touch, can control the ball in whatever way you pass him, run with the ball in between the spaces and also across the defenders and feed his teammates with inch-perfect passes. But, what if he decides to do it on his own? Well, thanks to his shooting ability, he can make direct efforts from long range, and that too with immense accuracy.
And if all this wasn’t enough, he has also got these tricky moves like Roulette turn, Feinting, Johann Cruyff turn etc.
PLAYMAKING & ATTACK
If a player has all the aforementioned abilities in him, he has to be a playmaker, and so is Oliver Skipp. The teenager is never shy of running with the ball, deep into the opponents half. He has the ability to disrupt the opponent’s formations through his movements and passing, and can constantly create opportunities for his team. If we see at Mauricio Pochettino’s approach at Tottenham, then it has always been to attack and press. And this lad totally suits the playing style of the Argentine coach.
Oh yeah, and his pace. He is quick, can predict the opponent’s movement and react quickly, and is fast with the ball.
When we compile all these attributes of him, we get a player who has the potential of being an engine to the team and decide the direction of their team’s gameplay.
DEFENSIVE DUTY WITH OFFENCE
Remember, above in the article, where, I paraphrased that word ‘preferably defensive’. After going through his skills and attacking attributes, how would it be to know that Skip actually likes to play his role in the defence? His preferred position is the defensive midfielder and can also play as a centre-back if needed. He is technically great, but physically tough too. Him, making a speedy run, catch the opposition’s attacker, tackle him and then snatch the ball away from him, well any team would love to have a player like that let alone Tottenham.
Skipp can also do the dirty work for the team by producing some offensive displays when needed. He makes interceptions and clean tackles while avoiding from getting booked. He has this tendency to pressurise his opponents which can be crucial in failing rival’s attacks.
OTHER ASPECTS
Skipp is an intelligent player. His passing and his movements are really clever. And he has something which not every player of either his age or any other age have, that is the vision. He can visualize where his teammates would be on the pitch and make passes accordingly.
He is a hard-working lad on the field. It seems as if he is always hungry and wants the ball, at his feet and not opponent’s.
Well the player in making is a star and definitely deserves all the attention. Expectations are very high from him and big clubs are already trying to lure him away from the North London club. Tottenham would be happy to able to keep him at the club as long as possible. Pochettino is understood to be keen on Skipp and wants the player to grow and be more mature. And surely, Oliver Skipp is the one who can shine.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m also a huge fan of Skipp, but we do need to get real here. Every player has his weaknesses and for all his undoubted qualities, Skipp also has his share.
His main weakness is he is too easily dispossessed, notably from players coming at him on his blind side. Because he likes to play as a defensive midfielder this can expose the defence at a time when they think they are secure. A secondary issue is he can sometimes be reckless in the tackle, and again this can lead to us conceding free-kicks in dangerous areas around the edge of the box.
Finally, Skipp appears to be one of those players who can have quite sharp variations in form. He can be amazing for a few games then have a spell when his game goes right off. A tell-tale sign is his passing, which is usually impressively crisp and accurate, but he can have games where too many go astray. Once this begins to happen, the next thing is he starts to lose confidence. His game can then deteriorate progressively to the point where everything he tries goes wrong. In extreme cases, he can then look like a little boy lost in a big man’s world.